This was going to be a review of the biopic movie Lincoln. However what is there to say about this movie that hasnt already been said? Spielburgs direction was brilliant but really what else do you expect from him anymore? Daniel Day Louis was Lincoln, Sally Field is still brilliant and even as little screen time as he had Tommy Lee Jones was sheer perfection.
What this blog is really about is has America learned anything from the Civil War? It ended 147 years ago, while essentially it was about States rights over Federal, it became a war to end slavery through the 13 th amendment. The war was bloody, with casualties numbering over three quarters of a million dead or wounded. While at the end of the war the 13 th amendment passed, what was really gained? African Americans couldnt vote, couldnt be officers in the military, werent paid equally to their white counter parts, racism was rampant, and living conditions were deplorable. Chains were removed, but replaced with other, less tangible ones.
While it can be said that things have improved, complete enfranchisement of African Americans didnt take place until one hundred years later when the Civil Rights movement was successful in getting the Voting Rights Act passed, even later Equal Housing Rights Act in 1968 to ensure that they didnt have to live in a ghetto.
Still it is 2012 and media, polls, and every other type of reporting agency you can imagine have stated that America is more polarised now than at any other time in its history since the Civil War, and over what? Universal health care? Taxing the wealthy into paying their fair share? A BLACK president? Gay marriage? Really what should have been a shining moment in American history has turned into fiasco of legislative irresponsibility, and brought into the light the racial divides that still exist in America.
I wont get into details but exit polls from the last election show that a racial divide, and a gender divide are still quite large and one would think that after over 150 years people would realise that whatever comes in front of the title, it all ends with AMERICAN! White America, Black America, Spanish America, Asian America, you are all AMERICA and the country doesnt work without you. Skin colour, political philosophies, sexual orientation, none of these things make you less of a human being, less of an American, or less of anything else.
Some people may say Who am I to judge, Im not an American. Theyd only be partly correct. My mother is an American, she met and married my father when she met him in England, and they moved to Canada and got Canadian citizenship. While this doesnt make me American, I have some interest, I could become a citizen in a heart beat but I like it here. We have Universal Health Care, our wealthy pay higher taxes than their American counterparts, gay marriage is legal here, and while we have never had a black Prime Minister, we have had a woman. Also it is a concern for me as America is our largest trading partner and effect Canada in a real way when this kind of instability is present in its politics, but most importantly I judge because America is special.
America was born from violence and ideas, the idea that freedom was a right not a privilege. We hold these truths as self evident that all men are created equal Thomas Jefferson wrote that in the Declaration of Independence. It is a self evident truth. We are all equal. Black, White, Hispanic, Jew, Gentile, Man, Woman, Asian, Indian, Native, Gay, Straight. So why is it that America hasnt lived up to this phrase written 236 years ago, why are there so many inequalities that still exist? Canada isnt blameless, inequality exists here too but that will be a separate blog.
America was supposed to be a shining example of enlightened living while there are individual citizens that live up to this, organisations that push and strive to achieve this, they are being out shouted by their detractors and opponents. One hundred and forty seven years after the Civil War the secession debate is opened again after President Obama is re-elected. Affirmative Action is in front of the Supreme Court and has a good chance of being overturned.
America, remember what those three quarter of a million men died for in the Civil War, the 320,000 from the First World War, the over one million from the Second World War, and every other conflict where FREEDOM has been the prize. Everyone deserves equal rights, and opportunities. It has been a part of your history since you declared your independence from the British Empire. So many of you try to achieve this goal, be the example that you are capable of being.
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphanto do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.
Great words let us all live up to them regardless of where we live.
I will add some Random Humour since this blog was such a downer.
What this blog is really about is has America learned anything from the Civil War? It ended 147 years ago, while essentially it was about States rights over Federal, it became a war to end slavery through the 13 th amendment. The war was bloody, with casualties numbering over three quarters of a million dead or wounded. While at the end of the war the 13 th amendment passed, what was really gained? African Americans couldnt vote, couldnt be officers in the military, werent paid equally to their white counter parts, racism was rampant, and living conditions were deplorable. Chains were removed, but replaced with other, less tangible ones.
While it can be said that things have improved, complete enfranchisement of African Americans didnt take place until one hundred years later when the Civil Rights movement was successful in getting the Voting Rights Act passed, even later Equal Housing Rights Act in 1968 to ensure that they didnt have to live in a ghetto.
Still it is 2012 and media, polls, and every other type of reporting agency you can imagine have stated that America is more polarised now than at any other time in its history since the Civil War, and over what? Universal health care? Taxing the wealthy into paying their fair share? A BLACK president? Gay marriage? Really what should have been a shining moment in American history has turned into fiasco of legislative irresponsibility, and brought into the light the racial divides that still exist in America.
I wont get into details but exit polls from the last election show that a racial divide, and a gender divide are still quite large and one would think that after over 150 years people would realise that whatever comes in front of the title, it all ends with AMERICAN! White America, Black America, Spanish America, Asian America, you are all AMERICA and the country doesnt work without you. Skin colour, political philosophies, sexual orientation, none of these things make you less of a human being, less of an American, or less of anything else.
Some people may say Who am I to judge, Im not an American. Theyd only be partly correct. My mother is an American, she met and married my father when she met him in England, and they moved to Canada and got Canadian citizenship. While this doesnt make me American, I have some interest, I could become a citizen in a heart beat but I like it here. We have Universal Health Care, our wealthy pay higher taxes than their American counterparts, gay marriage is legal here, and while we have never had a black Prime Minister, we have had a woman. Also it is a concern for me as America is our largest trading partner and effect Canada in a real way when this kind of instability is present in its politics, but most importantly I judge because America is special.
America was born from violence and ideas, the idea that freedom was a right not a privilege. We hold these truths as self evident that all men are created equal Thomas Jefferson wrote that in the Declaration of Independence. It is a self evident truth. We are all equal. Black, White, Hispanic, Jew, Gentile, Man, Woman, Asian, Indian, Native, Gay, Straight. So why is it that America hasnt lived up to this phrase written 236 years ago, why are there so many inequalities that still exist? Canada isnt blameless, inequality exists here too but that will be a separate blog.
America was supposed to be a shining example of enlightened living while there are individual citizens that live up to this, organisations that push and strive to achieve this, they are being out shouted by their detractors and opponents. One hundred and forty seven years after the Civil War the secession debate is opened again after President Obama is re-elected. Affirmative Action is in front of the Supreme Court and has a good chance of being overturned.
America, remember what those three quarter of a million men died for in the Civil War, the 320,000 from the First World War, the over one million from the Second World War, and every other conflict where FREEDOM has been the prize. Everyone deserves equal rights, and opportunities. It has been a part of your history since you declared your independence from the British Empire. So many of you try to achieve this goal, be the example that you are capable of being.
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphanto do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.
Great words let us all live up to them regardless of where we live.
I will add some Random Humour since this blog was such a downer.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
Protein ey... I just bought some chicken breasts, hamburger, and tilapia fillets.. if I stick to those three and some turkey as the major parts of my meals, you think that'll work out?